1953 Bowman Sets Baseball Cards
In 1952 the Bowman Gum Company took a serious hit in sales when the Topps Gum Company launched their expanded set of baseball cards.The Topps cards had superior graphics, more player and game statistics printed on the back and the set included over 100 more baseball cards than the 1952 Bowman baseball card set.Like an underdog team that knows it`s going to have to fight hard for a win, Bowman staged a sort of comeback in 1953 to prove to customers as well as the competition that when it came to baseball cards, they were still in the game.
Bowman rallied in a big way.Bowman replaced the hand painted black and white pictures that had been used for years with real color photographs.This revolutionary approach resulted in a much more attractive and appealing baseball card.The costs for producing the 1953 Bowman color baseball cards was so high however, that instead of producing a new set of cards later the same year Bowman printed a small series of cards in black and white.
The high production cost for the 1953 Bowman color baseball cards also seems to have affected the number of cards produced.There were only 160 color baseball cards produced and 64 black and white cards produced.Instead of starting at #161 the black and white card set is numbered 1 through 64 which emphasizes the fact that they are not a part of the color card set. For baseball card collectors the smaller number of 1953 cards in both sets makes acquiring a complete set a realistically attainable goal.
Bowman pulled out all the stops with their 1953 baseball cards. They increased the size of the cards to 2 ' by 3 5/8 to match the size of the standard Topps' card.With an increase in size came a decrease in visual clutter.The 1953 Bowman cards eliminated names, team logos and facsimile autographs on the card front.Only photographs of players framed in a simple white border were featured on the front of the card.
The clean looking design of the 1953 Bowman baseball card is still considered by many collectors to be one of the most attractive set of baseball cards ever produced.Bowman wisely chose to keep the front of the baseball card clean and simple in design then added player information on the back.For the first time Bowman included game statistics on the back of their cards.
To further distinguish themselves from other baseball card producers, Bowman introduced the first ever multiple player cards with the 1953 baseball card set.Some of the more desirable cards include #44 which features Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Hank Bauer and #93 which includes Billy Martin and Phil Rizzuto.
Some of the single players cards worth collecting include #32 Stan Musial, #33 Pee Wee Reese turning a double play, #59 the always collectible Mickey Mantle, #121 sports legend Yogi Berra and the Whitey Ford classic #153. You will pay more than the nickel it cost in 1953 for a five pack of Bowman baseball cards to get your hands on these gems, but it`s worth it.
1. Davey Williams
2. Vic Wertz
3. Sam Jethroe
4. Art Houtteman
5. Sid Gordon
6. Joe Ginsberg
7. Harry Chiti
8. Al Rosen
9. Phil Rizzuto
10. Richie Ashburn
11. Bobby Shantz
12. Carl Erskine
13. Gus Zernial
14. Billy Loes
15. Jim Busby
16. Bob Friend
17. Gerry Staley
18. Nelson Fox
19. Al Dark
20. Don Lenhardt
21. Joe Garagiola
22. Bob Porterfield
23. Herman Wehmeier
24. Jackie Jensen
25. Walter "Hoot" Evers
26. Roy McMillan
27. Vic Raschi
28. Forrest "Smokey" Burgess
29. Roberto Avila
30. Phil Cavaretta
31. Jimmy Dykes
32. Stan Musial
33. Harold "Pee Wee" Reese
34. Gil Coan
35. Maury McDermott
36. Orestes Minoso
37. Jim Wilson
38. Harry Byrd
39. Paul Richards
40. Larry Doby
41. Sammy White
42. Tommy Brown
43. Mike Garcia
44. Hank Bauer, Yogi Berra,
Mickey Mantle
45. Walt Dropo
46. Roy Campanella
47. Ned Garver
48. Hank Sauer
49. Eddie Stanly
50. Lou Kretlow
51. Monte Irvin
52. Marty Marion
53. Del Rice
54. Chico Carrasquel
55. Leo Durocher
56. Bob Cain
57. Lou Boudreau
58. Willard Marshall
59. Mickey Mantle
60. Granny Hamner
61. George Kell
62. Ted Kluszewski
63. Gil McDougald
64. Curt Simmons
65. Robin Roberts
66. Mel Parnell
67. Mel Clark
68. Allie Reynolds
69. Charlie Grimm
70. Clint Courtney
71. Paul Minner
72. Ted Gray
73. Billy Pierce
74. Don Muelluer
75. Saul Rogovin
76. Him Hearn
77. Mickey Grasso
78. Carl Furillo
79. Ray Boone
80. Ralph Kiner
81. Enos Slaughter
82. Joe Astroth
83. Jack Daniels
84. Hank Bauer
85. Solly Hemus
86. Harry Simpson
87. Harry Perkowski
88. Joe Dobson
89. Sandalio Conseguera
90. Joe Nuxhall
91. Steve Souchock
92. Gil Hodges
93. Billy Martin, Phil Rizzuto
94. Bob Addis
95. Wally Moses
96. Sal Maglie
97. Eddie Mathews
98. Hector Rodriguez
99. Warren Spahn
100. Bill Wight
101. Al "Red" Schoendienst
102. Jim Hegan
103. Del Ennis
104. Luke Easter
105. Eddie Joost
106. Ken Raffensberger
107. Alex Kellner
108. Bobby Adams
109. Ken Wood
110. Bob Rush
111. Jim Dyck
112. Tob Atwell
113. Karl Drews
114. Bob Feller
115. Cloyd Boyer
116. Eddie Yost
117. Duke Snider
118. Billy Martin
119. Dale Mitchell
120. Marlin Stuart
121. Yogi Berra
122. Bill Serena
123. Johnny Lipon
124. Charlie Dressen
125. Fred Hatfield
126. Al Corwin
127. Dick Kryhoski
128. Whitey Lockman
129. Russ Meyer
130. Cass Michaels
131. Connie Ryan
132. Fred Hutchinson
133. Willie Jones
134. Johnny Pesky
135. Bobby Morgan
136. Jim Brideweser
137. Sam Dente
138. Bubba Church
139. Pete Runnels
140. Alpha Brazile
141. Frank "Spec" Shea
142. Larry Miggins
143. Al Lopez
144. Warren Hacker
145. George Shuba
146. Early Wynn
147. Clem Koshorek
148. Billy Goodwin
149. Al Corwin
150. Carl Scheib
151. Joe Adcock
152. Clyde Vollmer
153. Ed "Whitey" Ford
154. Omar "Turk" Lown
155. Allie Clark
156. Max Surkont
157. Sherman Lollar
158. Howard Fox
159. Mickey Vernon
160. Cal Abrams
1953 Bowman Black & White:
1. Gus Bell
2. Willard Nixon
3. Bill Rigney
4. Pat Mullin
5. Dee Fondy
6. Ray Murray
7. Andy Seminick
8. Pete Suder
9. Walt Masterson
10. Dick Sisler
11. Dick Gernert
12. Randy Jackson
13. Joe Tipton
14. Bill Nicholson
15. Johnny Mize
16. Stu Miller
17. Virgil Trucks
18. Billy Hoeft
19. Paul LaPalme
20. Eddie Robinson
21. Clarence "Bud" Podbeilan
22. Matt Batts
23. Wilmer Mizell
24. Del Wilber
25. John Sain
26. Preacher Roe
27. Bob Lemon
28. Hoyt Wilhelm
29. Sid Hudson
30. Walker Cooper
31. Gene Woodling
32. Rocky Bridges
33. Bob Kuzava
34. Ebba St. Clair
35. Johnny Wyrostek
36. Jim Piersall
37. Hal Jeffcoat
38. Dave Cole
39. Casey Stengel
40. Larry Jansen
41. Bob Ramazotti
42. Howie Judson
43. Hal Bevan
44. Jim Delsing
45. Irv Noren
46. Bucky Harris
47. Jack Lohrke
48. Steve Ridzik
49. Floyd Baker
50. Emil "Dutch" Leonard
51. Lou Burdette
52. Ralph Branca
53. Morris Martin
54. Bill Miller
55. Don Johnson
56. Roy Smalley
57. Andy Pafko
58. Jim Konstanty
59. Duane Pillette
60. Billy Cox
61. Tom Gorman
62. Keith Thomas
63. Steve Gromek
64. Andy Hansen
